This invention relates generally, to solar energy utilization devices, and more specifically relates to a system for collecting and converting solar energy into other utilizable forms of energy.
Within recent years, a comparatively enormous amount of interest has developed in devices and methodology useful in the conversion of solar energy into alternate forms of energy, which may then be more readily utilized and/or stored. In most instances, these devices are characterized by an extended surface which may be so disposed that the solar energy incident upon the surface is collected by the device. Often the solar energy is thus redirected by the surface, which can e.g. be a focusing device, so as to heat some type of target; or the energy similarly, can be otherwise concentrated or refocused onto other types of energy-conversion means, such as photovoltaic cells or the like. Other types of devices have also come into wide-spread use, as for example flat plate collectors, which may be associated with enclosures and/or tubing or the like; the latter can carry a fluid media, so that resultant heating of the flat plate and associated structure, can in turn raise the temperature of the media, which can be a circulating liquid or so forth.
While solar energy devices and apparatus of the aforementioned type have increasingly found acceptance including in home and industrial environments, this in larger part, has not resulted because of reduction of costs or complexity of the solar energy devices. Rather, the increasing acceptability of such apparatus and systems is in good part explained rather by the soaring costs of other forms of energy, such as fossil fuel-generated electricity, fuel gas and the like. Basically, however, observation will indicate that solar energy equipment--despite the inroads aforementioned--has made relatively limited penetration of environments such as in home applications, wherein the yet comparatively high costs of such equipment continues to present a significant barrier to acceptance of same.
Thus for example, it may be noted that the previously mentioned flat plate collectors--while less complex and expensive than concentrator devices--still are quite costly; and in view of their construction, are relatively inefficient. The concentrators, such as parabolic reflectors or the like--while capable of collecting energy efficiently, and heating a fluid media or activating photocells or the like with great efficacy--are considerably more expensive than the flat plate collectors, in that the said devices have to present, been designed and manufactured with the high precision deemed necessary for a relatively precise optical device.
Pursuant to the foregoing, it may be regarded as an object of the present invention, to provide a solar energy collecting system which is of simple, relatively inexpensive design; which is yet sophisticated and efficient in its mode of energy collection; and which is especially adapted to relatively low-cost installations; such as in average homesites, including those at typical latitudes of the temperate zones.